It was the custom of our mutual friendship and intimacy that, during three whole years, neither of us lacked the other's presence for as much as three whole days. and such was the eagerness of both for learning and philosophizing that, after we had come together, we scarcely left off the investigation of difficult and useful problems for three minutes of an hour.

Source: Wikiquote: "Gerardus Mercator" (Quotes about Mercator, Letter to Melanchthon (extract): The original latin text and a german translation may be found in may be found in volume 2, pp 297-301 of Ad Maiorem Gerardi Mercatoris Gloriam. Krücken, Friedrich Wilhelm (1996), Ad Maiorem Gerardi Mercatoris Gloriam . The English text given here is a rough unedited version produced by Google translate. {| |-style="vertical-align: top;" |Gerardus Mercator Rupelmondanus Philippo Melanchtoni etc. |Gerhard Mercator from Rupelmonde to Philipp Melanchthon etc. |-style="vertical-align: top;" | Paulo ante Calendas Maji huius anni vocatus sum /fui/ a Caesarea Majestate Bruxellam. |Shortly before the 1st of May this year, I have been called by His Imperial Majesty to Brussels. |-style="vertical-align: top;" | Causa vocationis erat, quod terrarum situm vellet in globulo pugni magnitudine a me depingi; |The reason the invitation was that he wanted to have drawn from me the situation of the countries on a fist-sized globe. |-style="vertical-align: top;" | placuerant nimirum mathematica instrumenta, quae paulo ante postremum eius in Germaniam discessum suae Majestati fabricaveram. |Undoubtedly, the mathematical instruments were pleased that I had just made his majesty before his last departure to Germany. |-style="vertical-align: top;" |Is globulus [globulo] coelesti includendus erat ex Cristallo summa industria parato verticique insignis horologii superimponendus, quod e Mediolano ab ipso artifíce Janello allatum erat, | This little world was in a celestial globe of crystal - made with highest diligence - insert, and should be installed on top of an unprecedented movement above, which had been brought from Milan by the art master Janellus itself. |-style="vertical-align: top;" | octo lateribus septem planetarum slellarumque fìxarum motum ad amussim exprimens, in superioribus vero tanquam in conum ascendentìbus totidem lateribus inscripta erant, quaecunque ad Calendarii cognitìonem requiri poterant. | This movement shows eight pages, the movement of the seven planets and the fixed stars completely precisely and accordingly just as many pages above it - as it tapers into a cone - was written, which can be taught by a closer acquaintance with the calendar else. |-style="vertical-align: top;" | Mira intus et perplexa erat facies rotarum plus quam 700, ut ipsemet Janellus referebat | Amazing inside and confusing the appearance of more than was - wieJanellus self-reported - seven hundred gears. |}) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app